IRAN WATCH CANADA

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Islamic Regime in Iran and its hostility with Films & Cinema !

International Award Winning Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi's latest film " Pardeh" ( Curtain ) to Berlin Film Festival won the " Silver Bear" award . Jafar Panahi was unable to attend the festival to receive the award instead two of the film players Ms. Maryam Moqadam and Kambozia Partovi attended in the festival and received the award but after returning from Berlin - in the airport in Iran their passports were confiscated by the authorities and they were banned from traveling abroad.

Jafar Panahi is sentenced to six years imprisonment and 20 years ban on film making.Islamic regime in Iran has a hostile policy towards film ,Cinema , directors and players in general.In recent years regime put a lot of pressure on film makers and players, shut down " Khaneh Cinema " ( Cinema House ) the cinema professionals gathering place ,banned film show, increased censorship , arrested and detained film makers , banned film makers from traveling abroad , banned film makers from making films and ........
Because of these policies many film players , musicians, singers and directors have left Iran including Golshifteh Farahani Yong Iranian actress.

Violent Assault by security forces on Farmers in Isfahan !

The farmers of Varzaneh region in Isfahan province were on protest for more than 40 days because of the cut of water for their farmland. Yesterday Security forces armed with tear gas,plastic bullet and shotgun violently assaulted on the farmers who were gathered in protest and as a result of clashes many farmers were wounded or arrested. There are no news how many farmers are exactly wounded or arrested . According to the Kalameh website, few buses of the security forces were set on fire.
Link;http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2013/02/156120.php

Said Mortazavi was arraigned with the charges of participation in murder !

Mohseni Ejei today in his provincial travel to Golestan province in answering to the questions of reporters ,who asked about arraignment of murder charges to Said Mortazavi.

Said Mortazavi the past judge of press court and public prosecutor of Tehran, who is suspect in killing of Zahra ( Ziba )Kazemi and who was also suspect in the killings of " Kahrizak " prison detainees during 2009 Iranian people's uprising, is arraigned for charges in participation of murder ,said Mohseni Ejei public prosecutor general of the country and spokesperson for Judiciary power .

Cartoon by Iranian Cartoonist Touka Neyestani

Forced ConfessionsLast Tuesday, February 19, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry hinted at an upcoming broadcast of confessions from imprisoned journalists when it issued a third statement regarding the recent roundup of journalists in Iran. In the statement, the ministry bolstered its accusations of espionage and relations with a “network” related to a “British Government Spy Organization.” “Several individuals identified in the network requested to re-tell and publish their information and experiences from this network in order to provide a warning for others,” the statement adds. The families of the detainees have repeatedly expressed concern that they may have been pressured to make forced confessions while in prison, emphasizing that the arrested journalists were not in contact with any foreign media. Most of the 16 journalists arrested in the past month, have been released over the past few days.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

(Beirut, February 23, 2013) – Iranian judiciary authorities should allow at least 20 detainees charged with terrorism, in connection with the murder of Iranian nuclear scientists, access to their lawyers and family members, Human Rights Watch said today. Iran’s judiciary has failed to provide basic information about these cases, even to their families, despite the seriousness of the charges, which carry severe punishments, including death.

Family and associates close to three of the detainees told Human Rights Watch that the government has not provided these detainees, who are believed to be held in Tehran, with access to counsel or family visits, or provided the families with details of the charges or evidence against the suspects. The only information released publicly were several announcements by the Intelligence Ministry in 2012 that it had arrested more than a dozen people in connection with the killings of the scientists, and the televised confessions of 12 of the detainees in August 2012.

“If the Iranian authorities have a credible case against those accused of committing terrible crimes of murder, they should present real evidence, not forced confessions,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Denying defendants access to their lawyers, and shrouding these trials in secrecy only invites suspicion that the authorities do not have credible evidence about who killed so many Iranian scientists.”

On June 17, 2012, Heydar Moslehi, the head of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, told Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency that authorities had arrested 20 suspects allegedly involved in the murder of two scientists – Majid Shahriari, a nuclear physicist, and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who was reportedly a supervisor at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. Shahriari was killed on November 29, 2010, and Roshan on January 11, 2012, both in car bomb explosions in Tehran. Authorities have also linked the suspects to a car bomb attack that seriously wounded a third nuclear scientist, Professor Fereydoon Abbasi, and his wife, on November 29. Abbasi was the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.

On July 23, 2011, two gunmen on motorcycles shot and killed Dariush Rezaeinejad, a 35-year-old postgraduate engineering student, while he and his wife were waiting outside their daughter’s kindergarten in Tehran. Rezaeinejad’s wife was wounded, but survived. Iranian authorities have rejected reports that Rezaeinejad was involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, a distinguished physics professor at Tehran University died when a bomb detonated outside his home in Tehran on January 12, 2011. A fifth scientist, Ardeshir Hosseinpour, died under mysterious circumstances in 2007. Stratfor, a private US intelligence firm, reported that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, killed Hosseinpour, but Iranian officials have denied that Hosseinpour was involved in Iran’s nuclear program, or that his death was anything but an accident.

The confessions are the only evidence the government has so far offered in connection with these deaths. On August 5, Iran’s IRTV Channel 1 aired a half-hour documentary titled the Terror Club, which featured the televised confessions of the 12 suspects allegedly involved in the killings of Ali-Mohammadi, Shahriari, Rezaeinejad, and Roshan, and the attempted killing of Abbasi.

The suspects, seven men and five women, all confessed to being involved in the assassinations and provided details about their alleged roles in planning and carrying out the plots. Some confessed to receiving training by American, British, and Israeli intelligence agents in camps outside of Tel Aviv, with the assistance of Iranian opposition groups such as the Mojahedin-e Khalq.

During the August 5 program, IRTV also rebroadcast the confession of Majid Jamali Fashi, whom officials had executed in May for the murder of Ali-Mohammadi. Fashi’s confession initially aired in January 2011, months before his revolutionary court trial in August 2011. Human Rights Watch has not been able to confirm the identities of the other seven people the government said it arrested in June.

The program identified the 12 suspects who confessed on camera as: Behzad Abdoli, Tara Bagheri, Maziar Ebrahimi, Fouad Faramarzi, Maryam Izadi, Arash Kheradkish, Ramtin Mahdavi Mousaei, Ayoub Moslem, Mohsen Sedeghi-Azar, Firouz Yeganeh, Nashmin Zareh, and Maryam Zargar. Authorities earlier had announced they had arrested 20 suspects in connection with the killings. A review of the August 5 program by Human Rights Watch revealed that the authorities did not offer any evidence other than the 12 detainees’ confessions, nor did they provide any information regarding the specific charges against the detainees or details about their judicial files.

The Intelligence Ministry made several other announcements during 2012 citing various numbers of suspects arrested in the killings linked to the nuclear program. It is not clear whether these announcements all referred to the same group of 20, or whether other unidentified detainees have also been charged with the killings.

Shapoor Ebrahimi, Maziar Ebrahimi’s brother, told Human Rights Watch that since his brother’s arrest, the authorities have kept him incommunicado, prevented him from selecting a lawyer of his own choosing, and provided no information to the family about his well-being or the status of the criminal case against him.

Ebrahimi said his brother was a businessman who had been busy managing his cinema and television production company, and frequently traveled between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. Although Maziar Ebrahimi said in his public confession that he led the team that killed Roshan, Shapoor Ebrahimi provided Human Rights Watch with receipts he contends prove that his brother was in Iraqi Kurdistan during Roshan’s assassination.

Another informed source told Human Rights Watch that as of February 19, the authorities had kept Zareh and Faramarzi, her husband, incommunicado and failed to provide their families with any information regarding their well-being or the status of the criminal cases against them. The source said that Zareh’s family has had absolutely no contact with her since the day security forces arrested them. The source also said authorities have prevented Zareh from getting a lawyer, claiming that the suspects’ cases are under investigation.

Although Human Rights Watch has received no credible evidence suggesting that officials tortured or forced the people featured in the August 5 IRTV documentary to confess, it has documented numerous cases in which Iranian judiciary, security, intelligence, and prison officials have extracted forced confessions from detainees under torture. The fear of ill-treatment or torture of detainees is particularly high when people are held in incommunicado detention, Human Rights Watch said.

International human rights law protects detainees from mistreatment, including from making forced “confessions.” The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party, protects the right of every person “[n]ot to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt.” It is unlawful for authorities to use coercive means to obtain incriminating statements. Broadcasting such statements is likely to be a form of degrading treatment strictly prohibited by international law. Any televised confession broadcast prior to a suspect’s fair trial also violates article 14(2) of the covenant. The article provides that “[e]veryone charged with a criminal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law.”

The covenant also requires Iran to ensure that anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge “shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release,” and requires authorities to conduct a “fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal,” and to allow defendant “adequate times and facilities for the preparation of their defense,” and to communicate with the lawyer of their choosing.

Although Iran’s criminal procedure laws allow for the prolonged incommunicado detention of a suspect during the “investigation phase,” the prolonged detention of these individuals is inconsistent with requirements laid out in article 3 of the Law Establishing Public and Revolutionary Courts. These provisions oblige the judiciary to end the investigative phase of a case within four months, at which point authorities must either indict or release the suspects. In cases in which the judiciary wishes to extend the investigative phase, the judges must provide a reason for their decision. The law states that detainees have the right to appeal this decision to a Revolutionary Court judge. Available information suggests that the court has not offered any of these legal protections to Ebrahimi, Zareh, Faramarzi, or the others.

“Any conviction and sentencing of suspects alleged to have played a part in the killing of these nuclear scientists is tainted when there is evidence, as there is in this case, suggesting that officials have deprived defendants of their fair trial rights,” Whitson said.

Shirin Ebadi in her report on the situation of human rights in Iran in January-February-protests to harassment of families of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience

Fri 22 02 2013

Shirin Ebadi, Human Rights Defender and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, in continuation of her monthly reports, has reviewed the human rights situation in Iran in Bahman 1391 [January-February 2013]. Dr. Ebadi started her Bahman report by addressing the issue of harassment of families of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience including daughters of Mir-Hossein Moosavi and son of Mehdi Karubi, two opposing candidate for presidential elections in 1388, who are now living under house arrest. The human rights defender in her report objected to the Iranian government's disregard for the media coverage of illegal acts committed by the security forces.The human rights activist has continued her report by examining the human rights situation under three categories: “civil and political rights”, economic and social rights”, “cultural heritage and environment”.She pointed out to the arrest of 17 journalists and requested their immediate release. The report also addressed the execution of 17 individuals.According to the website of the Centre for Defenders of Human Rights, the text of Dr. Ebadi’s report for January-February which has published on 19 February is as follows:A Brief Report on Human Rights Situation in Iran in Bahman 1391[January- February]IntroductionIranian people in February like past months have witnessed the harassment and persecution of relatives of prisoners of conscience. Security agents raided the homes of two daughters of Mir-Hossein Moosavi and one of the sons of Mehdi Karubi (Competitors of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009 presidential elections). The security forces have seized their computers and many of their personal belongings and interrogated them for hours and at the end threatened them with serious treatment should they continue to inform the public and interview with the media. One of the daughters of Mir-Hossein Moosavi said that her husband divorced her because of the pressure imposed upon him by the security forces.Harassment of families of political and civil rights activists is not limited to the above and many journalists who are working with Persian-language media including the BBC have not been safe from such harassment.Iranian Government does not tolerate dissenting voices and responds to critics of the current situation in the harshest possible manner. Nor does it accept any domestic and international media reports that highlight illegal acts committed by the security forces. Therefore, security officials and the Courts consider the interview with the media as an attempt to overthrow the regime and dealt with this matter strictly. They try to create an atmosphere of intimidation in an attempt to keep citizens silent.In addition to the above, the report on human rights situation in Iran in Bahman 1391, which has been based on material taken from various newspapers and websites, will appear in both English and Persian in three sections, upon verification of the sources.Human Rights Situation in Iran in Bahman 1391Section 1: Political and Civil RightsA) Situation of Nonconformist Political-Social Activists1. Arash Shaltuki, a Gonabadi dervish and Suran Daneshvar, Zana Moeini, Davod Ghasimi, Mohamad Kohneh Pushi and Saman Mahmudi, all civil and student’s rights activists from the city of Marivan were arrested. Taher Faghih and four other clerics’ supporters of Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastgheyb, a cleric critical of Iran’s regime, were also arrested.2. Mehdi Tajik, students’ rights activist reported to the Evin Prison to serve his two -year imprisonments.3. The five-year imprisonment’s sentence of Jamal Ghadernejad, a university student was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Ali Moazami, a Gonabadi dervish was sentenced to two years in prison. Saeid Abedini, an Iranian-American citizen was also convicted to an eight-year in prison term. Hesamodin Ghorbani, a students’ rights activist was convicted to 20 lashes punishment and 3,500,000 Riyals cash fine.4. The condition of several prisoners of conscience continues to be reported as poor. For instance, prison authorities have failed to send Saleh Kohandel and Misagh Yazdan Nejad to the health centre. Feyzollah Arab Sorkhi, an imprisoned member of Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, was returned to the prison before the completion of his medical treatment. Mehdi Khazali despite being at risk because of his 50 days of hunger strike was refused medical treatment.5. Massoud Pedram a member of the Council of nationalists-religious activists, who is currently serving his sentences in the Ward 350 of Evin Prison, was summoned to Evin Court and interrogated for a new charge filed against him.6. Security officials refused to allow the body of Yahya Sadegh Vaziri, the last Minister of Justice during Pahlavi, to be buried in the family tomb in the city of Sanandaj. Holding any memorial ceremony for him was also banned in Sanandaj.7. Arjang Davudi, a political prisoner who had been banished to Bandarabas Prison was transferred to solitary confinement.8. Safai Moghadam, Mehdi Ghomeyshi, Hassan Dadkhah and Iraj Zare, all political activists were summoned to Ministry of intelligence in Khuzestan Province and interrogated. Shirudi was also summoned to the security department of Shahid Chamran University in Ahvaz and interrogated.9. Family of political and civil rights activists and dissidents have not been protected from the harassment by the security officials. For instance, Zahra and Nargess Moosavi, both daughters of Mir-Hossein Moosavi and Hossein Karroubi, son of Mehdi Karroubi were detained and interrogated for several hours and their computers and personal belongings were confiscated. Kokab Moosavi, another daughter of Mir -Hossein Moosavi was also summoned to the Revolutionary Court and interrogated. Seyyed Hossein Shirazi, son of Ayatollah Sayed Sadeq Shirazi was also summoned to the Special Clerical Court and interrogated. The parents and brother of Anwar Hossein Panahi and Mohammad Rostam Nejad, both political prisoners were summoned to the Intelligence office in the city of Gharveh. The father of two young men namely Hoshyar and Hossein, who were killed in Mahabad were summoned to the Intelligence office in the city of Mahabad and interrogated. Maryam Shirini, a Gonabadi dervish and wife of Amir Islami was summoned by the Intelligence office in Tehran.10. The fifth congress of the “will of the nation" party was interrupted by the security forces.11. Amir Mohammad Someh Moghadam was expelled from the university.B) Situation Regarding Books, Media, Writers and Journalists1. Seventeen journalists were arrested this month. Only four were release on bail after several days of detention. Those who were arrested are: Fatemeh Sagharchi, Reyhaneh Tabatabaei, Motahareh Shafie, Amili Amrai, Nasrin Takhayori, Saba Azarpeyk, Nargess Judaki, Ali Dehghan, Sasan Aghai, Akbar Montajebi, Javad Daliri, Milad Fadai Asl, Keyvan Mehregan, Hossein Yaghchi, Soleiman Mohammadi, Pejman Moosavi and Poriya Alami.2. Roein Otofat, an activist in the field of publication was arrested.3. The website of “Tabnak” was blocked.4. Mosayeb Naimi, a former editor-in-chief of Iran newspaper was pronounced guilty by jury of the press Court.c) Other Instances of Human Rights AbuseIn a month of Bahman 19 individuals were executed. The public prosecutor of the city of Orumiyeh reported the execution of a person in public. According to this judicial authority, the offender was charged with murder. “Yaser. K” was hanged in the city of Kerman and “A. B” was executed in public in the city of Shiraz. According to governmental news agencies, they were charged with rape. “K. Kh”, “A. N”, and “A. H” were executed in Ghazvin Province. “A. M”, “R. M” were hanged in the city of Arak. “Alahnazar. Sh”, “Rahmatolah. Sh”, “ Abdollah. Sh”, “S. H” and “Nematolah. SH” were hanged in the city of Kerman. “Ch. B. Gh” and “Mohsen K” were executed respectively in the city of Shahrud and Isfahan. Government news agencies declared their charges as possession of drugs. A person called Ali was executed in Tehran. Government news agencies reported his charge as robbery and murder. “H. A”, “M. V” and “Y. F” were executed in the city of Shiraz in public. Government news agencies including ISNA reported their charges as rape a 14 years old boy.2. The head of the branch two of Kerman Revolutionary Court declared the death sentenced of eight people in the city of Kerman who were charged with the production and distribution of drugs. Gholam Hossein Khaledi protector of Dena protected area was sentenced to death for murdering a hunter. Jamshid, Morteza, Ebrahim, Fatemeh and Morteza were sentenced to death. Iranian state media have reported their charges as murder. "Ali. Sh" and Karim were sentenced to death. According to Iranian state media they were charged with rape. The death sentence of Mahafarid Khosravi, Behzad Behzadi, Iraj Shojaei and Saeid Kiani was upheld by the Supreme Court. Government news agencies reported their charges as Efsad-e Fel Arz [Corruption on Earth].3. The public prosecutor of Sari Province announced chopping hand of an offender a person who was convicted of robbery.Section 2: Economic and Social Rights1.The economic situation in Iran continues to be adverse. Iran's Central Bank predicted that the inflation rate will reach 32% in 1391. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, has said that people cannot afford the medication.2. In relation to the situation of the workers the following instances could be mentioned: One hundred and eighty workers of “Foro Alyaj Azna” factory, 53 workers of “Motaghin” Complex , and all workers of “Jahad Nasr” company have lost their jobs. Some1800 workers of [Khorramshahr's] railway [bridge] construction have only received their salaries for the first four months of the year; 87,000 pensioners of the steel industry have not received their pension entitlements for three months; About 200 workers and contractors of the General Department of Roads and Urban Development of Kohkoliyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province have not been paid for six months; Some 5000 workers of “Giti Pasand” factory have not received their salaries, and workers of “Gharch-e Sina” factory who had been made redundant, have not received their overdue wages for over two years..3. Sharif Saed Panah and Mozafar Saleh Niya, board members of the Free Union of Iranian Workers were summoned to the court in the city of Sanandaj. Jafar Azim zadeh and Parvin Mohammadi, two labour rights activists were summoned to the Intelligence Ministry.Section 3: Cultural Heritage and EnvironmentReports concerning cultural heritage and environment in the month of Bahman also serve to indicate the unfavourable situation in those sectors.1. Ecology Garden of Noshahr was exposed to destruction. The oil pipelines going through the Bamu National Park, has increased the risk of destruction of this park.2. Repairs the stones of Korush’s mausoleum with cement, has led to the growth of lichens. The lichens can damage the stone.ConclusionIn conclusion of this monthly report, I would like to draw the attention of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the fact that the imposition of limitation on broadcasting the information and communication with the media, even those outside Iran, is in violation of international human rights standards.Respect for freedom of speech requires that all journalists who have been arrested this month on the charge of collaborating with the media outside Iran, and their names were mentioned in this report, to be released immediately and unconditionally.

Friday, February 22, 2013

30 January 2013Your Excellency Dr. Ahmed Shaheed,The Honourable United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in IranSince 28 January, the offices and homes of Iranian journalists have been raided by the security forces. Several journalists have been arrested. Although some of them, including Motahereh Shafi, have been released, 14 are behind bars at present: Emily Amrai, Nasrin Takhayori, Saba Azar Peyk, Nargess Judaki, Ali Dehghan, Sasan Aghai, Akbar Montajebi, Javad Daliri, Milad Fadai Asl, Keyvan Mehregan, Hossein Yaghchi, Soleiman Mohammadi, Pejman Moosavi, Poriya Alami.The important point of these arrests is that according to judicial authorities, the detainees are charged with acting against national security and "These arrests will continue" (state news agency ISNA on 29 January 2013). In other words, the security forces are trying to intimidate the journalist and force them into silence by launching these mass arrests and false accusations.These arrests are in violation of the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the information received from the family of the detained journalists, despite ISNA’s report, they have not been formally charged and no warrants of arrest have been issued. Detainees have been denied access to legal representation. Due to lack of due process, all arrests are considered to be arbitrary.I would therefore like to draw your attention to this issue and state that the continuation of this situation not only limits dissemination of information but it is another step to create fear among citizens to prevent them from any possible lawful protests.With best regards,Shirin EbadiHuman Rights Advocate and 2003 Nobel peace prize Laureate

CCThe Office of Madam Navanethem Pillay, honourable United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; The Office of the United Nations Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon; The Honourable UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression; UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Ministry of Information in Iran on a mission of "witch Hunt" !!

Journalists are Arrested because of the coming Presidential election in June and Not because of "connection with BBC" as Ministry of Information claims!
In continuation of a series of raids on newspaper offices and home of the journalists ,Ehsan Mazanderani journalist of "Etemad" Newspaper is arrested on Wednesday Feb. 20 and was transferred to Evin prison.
No one knows exactly how many Iranian journalists from all over Iran are arrested from the beginning of the raids almost three weeks ago.
Regime has released only one the journalist from one raids and the rest are still in prison. These are :
Reyhaneh Tabatabaei,Nasrin Takhayori, Emily Amraei,Narges Joudaki,Milad Fadaei Asl , Saba Azarpaik,Poria Alami ,Soleyman Mohammadi, Sasan Aghaei,Pejman Musavi, Akbar Montajebi and Keyvan Mehregan.
Ministry of Information in its third statement called the arrest of journalists in all over Iran as " Other individuals connected to BBC" . Three Weeks has past since the first assault on Iranian journalists by the agents of the Ministry of Information ( Began on Sunday January 27).
Journalists arrested are banned from acquiring or having a lawyer to defend them and have no visitation by their families except a short phone contact . In the past Ministry of Information in two separate statements accused the journalists arrested in Iran as" individuals connected to BBC."
The Ministry of Information in its third statements which was released on Tuesday claimed that :" Some of the Radio ,Television and websites of the counter revolutionaries and run away elements of the 2009 sedition run by BBC."
Link:http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=51182

" Dervish" from all over Iran in solidarity with imprisoned Dervish's at Evin prison !

Today Thursday Feb. 21 ( International Dervish's Day)Dervish's from all over Iran in solidarity with (Iranian Dervish's and their lawyers arrested four years ago and detained in Evin prison) get together in protest at Evin prison and demanded for their release .Islamic regime in Iran for years treated Dervish's very poorly and took anti Dervish's policy by destruction of their worship places and harassment's and imprisonment.
According to latest news , among Dervish's attended at Evin prison ,300 were arrested today and were detained but released later, but believe some are still in prison.Background :
Four years ago hundreds of Dervish's in protest against discriminatory policies of the Islamic regime get together in front of parliament in Tehran and as a result of that protest many have been arrested and detained. Dervish are a minority religious group in Iran.
Link:http://www.majzooban.org/fa/exclusive/exclusive-news/6564

Mehdi Khazali a political prisoner is in his 54 days of hunger strike !

Kalameh Website-Mehdi Khazali in his 54 Days of Hunger Strike !
Mehdi Khazali is the son of Ayatolah Abolghasem Khazali . He made the regime and security forces angry by supporting Musavi and Karoubi ( Leaders of the Green Movement ). His father Ayatollah Khazali a radical clergy asked his son to withdraw his support for Musavi and Karoubi and be released.According to Mehdi Khazali's son, his father must have been released yesterday on bail but the security forces brought new accusation against him. He has been in prison since November and spent more than two months in solitary confinement. Mr. Mehdi Khazali is a doctor and have been arrested six times.
Pictures- Shows Mr. Mehdi Khazali's family members including Nourizad on a sit in protest behind the walls of Evin prison.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Dispute Among regime officials including Khamenei ( Who is the real problem in Iran) will deepen,but the real issue in front of Iranian people is the freedom of all political prisoners including Musavi ,Zahra Rahnavard and Karoubi and the presidential election.!

Regime is in disarray .........Ahmadinejad is beating his drum to re- elect his guys for presidency, Khamenei has created his scenario of 2+ 1 candidates ( Had dad Adel former parliamentary speaker , Valayati former foreign Minister and Ghalibaf current Mayor) , and the reformists and green movement currently without a real candidate.

Khamenei in his speech this week: "The leader of one power on referring to an allegation which is not proven and accusing leaders of two other power is against the law,morality and religious law / the impeachment was useless and wrong and use of excessive power - because a few months have left for ahmadinejads ministers term in office/ At present ,i only advise . "/

Two weeks after Ahmadinejad presence in Majlis (Parliament) and his speech to save his labor minister from impeachment and retaliatory display of tape on allegation of corruption by Larijani brothers (Ali Larijani as parliamentary speaker and Mohammad Sadegh Larijani as head of judiciary), which caused uproar among officials & clergies including Khamenei ( who have earlier demanded officials not to attack each other and stop fighting among themselves and who also called these kinds of behavior as conspiracy at time of the coming presidential election and....).This week once again Khamenei , attacked both Ahmadinejad and Larijani for their lack of understanding of the importance of time and situation. Khamenei also called the impeachment of Labor Minister and vote of non-confidence and his removal from office by MP's as a wrong act.After Khamenei's attack on both Larijani's and Ahmadinejad ,including most MP's apologized from Khamenei for what had happened and promised to stay in line with Khamenei.But Ali Motahari an MP son of Ayatollah Motahari ( an Islamic philosopher ) this week called the impeachment of labor minister by MP's a good act , which is in way a message to Khamenei not to interfere into the parliamentary affairs after their decision is being made.However, he also agrees to follow Khamenei's order.
One other thing occurred last week was that ,supporters of Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi ( Iranian people are familiar with these group now - they are very radical Taliban style of Muslims )disrupted Ali Larijani's speech by throwing shoes and other objects at him.Which again added to Khamenei's problems ,that some officials are not following his order to stop attacking each other.).

This is not the first time Khamenei demands from officials to stop fighting among themselves and this won't be the last time. The lack of leadership and respect to Iranian people's demands and his support of Ahmadinejad against Mir Hossein Musavi the 2009 presidential candidate and the coup and disrespect of Iranian people's vote and then people's protest and his order for bloody suppression of people's peaceful protest in 2009, all of these made people more aware of Khamenei's position with respect to people's demands and his uncontrollable power.
This is one side of the story that is happening and widening among officials.
The other side of the story is , the lack of leadership among reformists and green movement , students , labor ,women and .....The only person who can play the role of leadership for the opposition is Mir Hossein Musavi who is in house arrest for more than two years now. The 11th Presidential election is in 12th of June 2013.
Ahmadinejad today Sunday in a meeting with governors said : He will work until 9:00 am August 2,2013 ,the day the new president will take the oath.
It seems Iranian people have almost 4 months to reorganize themselves for a mass rally in support of Musavi and his freedom and call him as their candidate ( although regime won't budge down on their demands again ),but persistence and people's support for Musavi may be the only chance they have got.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Workers Warned Labor Minister !

Labor Protest in all over Iran almost Every Day !

Regime summons & threat of journalists,labor leaders, human rights defenders ....continues in order to silence them before June 12 ,2013 Presidential election.
30,000 Workers demanded for permission to gather in front of Labor Ministry in Tehran for protest , but Tehran's Governors office did not issue the permit and instead the ministry of information summoned some representatives of the "Independent Workers Union" to the ministry.Those summoned are: Jafar Azimzadeh, Parvin Mohammadi, Jamil Mohammadi and Nahid Khodajou.
In a petition signed by 30,000 workers ,the "Independent Workers Union" demanded for a permission to have a rally but denied by Tehran's Governors office. The workers warned they will continue their gathering and protest until their demands fulfilled.
Link:http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/article.jsp?essayId=50957

IRANIAN GOVERNMENT HARASSING PERSIAN JOURNALISTS ABROAD

IRANIAN
GOVERNMENT HARASSING PERSIAN JOURNALISTS ABROAD

I am writing on behalf of Canadian Journalists
for Free Expression (CJFE), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that
works to promote and protect press freedom and freedom of expression around the
world.

CJFE strongly condemns the Iranian government’s
increasing harassment of its expatriate journalists, particularly those
employed by the BBC’s Persian service in London, and we are concerned
by the targeting of these journalists’ family members still living in Iran.

In recent months, pro-regime activists and
government-approved websites in Iran launched a number of
slanderous personal attacks and threats against Persian journalists employed by
the BBC and other international news media outlets. This smear campaign,
carried out through fake Facebook accounts and a counterfeit BBC blog, has
included allegations of sexual misconduct and drug trafficking. In addition,
government authorities in Iran have begun to target
the journalists' family members in the country through seemingly random arrests
and detainment in Iran’s notoriously brutal
Evin Prison.

These efforts to intimidate and discredit
exiled Persian journalists substantiate concerns about the Iranian government’s
persecution of those exercising their right to free expression. CJFE is
seriously alarmed by the increasingly hostile environment in Iran for freedom of
expression.

CJFE urges the Iranian government to denounce
the defamatory and threatening actions of its officials, to release immediately
the family members of expatriate journalists and to respect the free expression
rights of Iranians at home and abroad.
We thank you for your attention and I look forward to your reply.

Yours Sincerely,

Arnold Amber, CJFE President

Cc: Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur for
Human Rights in Iran
The Honourable John Baird, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs

07.02.2013 Second shoe attack at Ahmadinejad in Cairo Egypt- Once again Ahmadinejad was attacked by Egyptian while leaving the Iranian Embassy in Egypt !

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Iran's Head of Judiciary: What the president said is lies, defamation and crime but because of the order of Leader i keep silence !

Mohammad Sadegh Larijani broke his silence on the allegations made against him and his siblings by Ahmadinejad inside the parliament last Sunday.
Mohammad Sadegh Larijani Iran's head of judiciary:
"What has happened on Last Sunday inside the parliament was bitter to the people .What the president claimed against the respected judiciary judges, MP's and heads of powers was lies, defamation and contrary to the legal and religious law and it was a crime." At present because of the order by leader ,i keep silence but in the future i'll speak and expose it in detail ."
The fight among regime officials sharpens as the June 12 presidential election approaches.
Link:http://balatarin.com/topic/2013/2/6/1012726

Said Mortazavi the infamous judge and suspect in killing of many Iranian including Zahra Kazemi is released from prison one day after his arrest !

While Journalists and bloggers get years of imprisonment for telling and writing the truth on what is happening in the country ,the killers are set free by this regime one day after imprisonment !
Said Mortazavi: I'm the soldier of "Velayat " ( the reign of Khamenei ).
In this picture Said Mortazavi is greeted by employees of his department-

One day after his arrest, Said Mortazavi is released from prison and returned to his post as head of Social welfare department. According to news ,Mortazavi and Fazel Larijani ( Parliamentary speaker's brother ) were both investigated on charges.
Link:http://www.hamshahrionline.ir/details/200468

For the first time in Iran - 30 years after the revolution - American president Obama's huge poster in Iran - It reads:" Be with Us, You are safe" ! !!!????

More Iranian journalists are arrested by Ministry of Information !

Last night and early this morning more Iranian journalists were arrested by the agents of the ministry of information at their home or workplace and some are being summoned. According to the statement released by the Ministry of Information, those arrested were working for foreign services particularly with British psychological organization - BBC. Statement did not release the names of Journalists arrested but said,it will release their name in the future.
According to the statement only one person from the past arrest was released by bail and the rest are under investigation.
The statement indicates that; the ministry is learning more on the identity of these journalists network from outside and inside Iran.

Monday, February 04, 2013

Said Mortazavi the former Tehran public prosecutor and butcher of reformists media is arrested !

This morning Said Mortzavi the former Judge and Tehran's Public Prosecutor and well known butcher of reformists media is arrested. Said Mortazavi is a suspect into the death of Canadian -Iranian photo-Journalists Zahra Kazemi

and suspect to the death of many in the " Kahrizak " Prison during 2009 Green Movement protest. In Recent year Ahmadinejad gave a post of Welfare office to Mortazavi and this caused uproar among public and parliament , as a result the Minister of Labor and welfare was brought to parliament for questioning for why hiring Mortazavi who has open criminal record and given a high position to handle welfare department. While in parliament ,the MP's impeached the minister and on a vote ,minister lost his job , Ahmadinejad was also in the parliament to defend his minister & Mortazavi and even his effort by speaking on an allegation against the parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani did not save his minister and today Mortazavi also lost his job and arrested.
Link:http://isna.ir/fa/news/91111710122

Ahmadinejad ( the president of coup) was thrown out of parliament by parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani ! Larijani said : In fact it was good that you said what you wanted to say ( by Telling "Bagam ,Bagam "- meaning i'll say ,i'll say ) and by playing the tape you showed your personality to people to know you better , you made accusation and we answered you back and you did not respect the authority and you don't have right to say anything else ,please leave . The tape shows Ahmadinejad leaving the parliament . What a shame ????!!!!!

Friday, February 01, 2013

Assault on Journalists,Bloggers and......

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IRAN WATCH CANADA Is managed by Morteza Abdolalian (Mori) .It is continuation of Iran Watch bulletin(print),which was published for a few years.It monitors daily news about Media,journalists and human rights.It defends press freedom,free expression,Freedom of Information , journalists and human rights in Iran and the world.It has no affiliation to any political organizations.It is an independent / NGO-online media .It is illegal using Iran Watch Canada without mentioning it as the source.